Despite high expectations, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the NHL's most disappointing teams. They may be just four points behind the division-leading Detroit Red Wings, but the Leafs are sitting in seventh place in the Atlantic, struggling to hang onto a 0.500 points percentage.
One of the reasons is their inability to play well defensively, while their goaltending has been a revolving door thanks to injuries. Despite the bleakness, the Leafs have played well when they have the puck on their stick with 72 goals in their first 21 games, or 3.42 per contest.
They can thank John Tavares for keeping this group high-octane, despite injuries to key forwards like Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. And Tavares has been on a tear, snagging 27 points, which is tied with William Nylander for the team lead.
With 27 points in 21 games, Tavares is on pace to snag between 105 and 106 if he keeps up this trajectory. Should he bust through the 100-point barrier, Tavares will join a rare club that even Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have yet to join, if they ever will.
John Tavares could pull off the rare feat of hitting 100 points in his age-35 season
How rare is this club? Adam Laskaris of Blog TO has the answer. Laskaris recently wrote, "Only five NHL players ever have hit 100 points or more after turning 35: Johnny Bucyk, Gordie Howe, Jean Ratelle, Wayne Gretzky, and most recently, Joe Sakic in 2006-07."
Those are some legendary names that Tavares might be mentioned in the same sentence with. And remember, Tavares is the only one of the Maple Leafs' top four forwards who hasn't missed time with an injury. So if this team gets healthy again and gets back on track, there's a good chance that they will forge the best scoring unit in hockey.
Getting Matthews and Knies back in the lineup will only help Tavares' cause. What's even more remarkable about this is that Tavares has never scored over 88 points in a single season. That mark came during his first year in Toronto back in 2018-19, when he also finished with a career-high 47 goals.
Hitting 100 points would further make John Tavares' case for the Hockey Hall of Fame
With over 1,200 games played, 1,141 points, and 506 goals scored, Tavares has already more than made his case for the Hockey Hall of Fame. But hitting 100 points at such an advanced age and joining the likes of hockey greats like Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky could all but make him a lock for the Hall.
Of course, winning the Stanley Cup in Toronto would also help, and Tavares is probably more focused on bringing a Cup to the city for the first time since 1967. Still, 100 points in one's age-35 season and doing something surefire Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have never done is quite the accomplishment, so it's worth following if you're a Leafs fan looking for something positive right now.
Ideally, Tavares would see both happen this season. If that were the case, then there would be no question that an induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame would be in his future after he hangs up the skates.